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Super Opportunity For Whitney Myer
[+ Show ]
Touching down for a new season immediately after the Super Bowl is a high-profile singing competitio...Touching down for a new season immediately after the Super Bowl is a high-profile singing competition that will give a Reno artist national exposure.
Whitney Myer will appear on NBC's “The Voice,” which debuts Sunday after the Patriots-Giants football game.
Myer's performance was taped earlier and she is under contract to not give too many details or if her audition would be aired Sunday.
“I can say that everybody can tune in Feb. 5 to see my results and that blind auditions will continue (on following episodes),” she said Wednesday.
The program stars Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine. After Sunday's season debut, it will be aired at 8 p.m. on Mondays. The winner of the competition will receive $10,000 and a record deal.
Myer, a University of Nevada, Reno graduate, has written songs since she was 13 years old. The Whitney Myer Band includes the lead singer's father, Scott Myer, and uncle Fred Myer and Gia Torscaso. Scott and Fred Myer were members of a San Francisco band, the Mudsharks.
The Whitney Myer Band will release a single on iTunes, “Broken,” within the next two weeks, she said.
The Whitney Myer Band will perform Feb. 9 at Plan B in Carson City. On March 25 the band will return to its familar venue the Crystal Bay Casino.
“Whitney is a little firecracker,” the casino manager, Bill Wood, said. “She's a bundle of blues-infused R&B, soul and funk. She handles the audience like a veteran with great energy and has a fantastic stage presence. Everyone at the CBC is pulling for her.”
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Whitney Myer things big with soul-pop swagger
[+ Show ]
Whitney Myer is thinking big these days.
When you're 23 and possess an impressive
contralto (th...Whitney Myer is thinking big these days.
When you're 23 and possess an impressive
contralto (think Erykah Badu's neo-soul, not Katy
Perry's sassy pop), a buoyant stage presence
(performing since 13) and backing musicians well-v
ersed in rhythm and blues (her father, guitarist
Scott, and uncle, drummer Fred, supported 1970s
touring acts and were in The Mudsharks, Reno's
1990s ska band that nearly scored a major-label
contract, you can afford to plot a heady course.
To promote their recent CD-release concert at the
Knitting Factory, the Whitney Myer Band bought
billboard space on Virginia Street -- bold for an act
carefully building a regional following, and which
relied on a friendship with local musician-engineer
Darius Javaher to record their album economically.
That Thursday show nearly filled the 1,260-capacity
venue, thanks to heavy promoting. Attendees were
regaled by choreographed dancers and aerialists
accompanying several numbers. And the electricity
remained charged throughout the 90-minute set as
Myer -- short with an hourglass figure, round face
topped by a cloud of kinky brown curls -- worked
the crowd effortlessly with leg-pumping moves and
repeated thank you's.
Behind her, funk and pop-soul beats pumped from
her backing band (which includes bassist Gia
Torcaso), supplemented by area pros on keyboards
and horns, and -- on the mid-tempo rocker "Rolling
Stone" -- rapper Chari Smith. Myer herself strapped
on a keytar for two songs.
"The show really surpassed anything we could have
expected," said Myer, a 2009 University of Nevada,
Reno graduate. "Not to say we didn't work our butts
off to promote the heck out of it via social
networking and advertising." The band is pushing
the CD toward radio play. "I'm hoping it will enable
me to play music as my primary income, which at
present is waiting tables."
"Dream Killer" (the theme is the danger of self-
sabotage) may be lean on songs that instantly tilt
the pop-hit meter, but is heavy on grooving beats,
and showcase Myer's star-quality vocal repertoire
from throaty growls to falsetto trills.
The CD opens with the get-up-and-dance "Cupid,"
with Myer's repeated "oh-oh-oh-oh" runs
punctuating a woman's cat-and-mouse game with a
lover. A badass funk groove drives the title track,
with Myer shifting registers with bluesy rancor and
regret.
The 10 songs vary widely. The Myers arranged each
and own credits to all except "This Is How We Do It"
(by '90s rapper Montell Jordan) and the poetic piano
ballad "Snow," which Whitney co-authored with
Reno spoken-wordsmith Tony Walker. The tender
"Snow" may be the standout track; other highlights
include the slow-blues torcher "Waiting for a
Savior," and "Bam," a mid-tempo poppy soul ballad
with a repeated refrain of remorse ("Bam, and I'm
back to my old days and my old ways").
Reno has been good to Myer's development.
"My dad and uncle are a huge part of the music
scene, going back to the early '80s with the band
Bump & Grind. I've been able to skip a lot of the
floundering that a lot of beginning musicians do."
Myer, who took vocal lessons from 14 to 19, eyes a
long career. She takes refresher lessons from Reno
jazz chanteuse Cami Thompson to protect her voice.
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Artist to Watch
[+ Show ]
Artist to Watch – The Whitney Myer Band
Whitney Myer is onto something. Her band (made up of her...Artist to Watch – The Whitney Myer Band
Whitney Myer is onto something. Her band (made up of her guitarist father Scott Myer and drummer Uncle Fred Myer—both industry vets), literally sparkles with soul and style. The group’s new record, due in the spring of this year, should help launch what is arguably the most promising indie act in the Truckee Meadows. The recent UNR grad, who majored in Spanish Literature with a minor in Political Science, is driven to make her new record open industry doors. “This record is a statement record for us. We’re taking strategic steps to get us where we want to go,” Myer noted. “It’s a breakout recording for Whitney,” added her father Scott. “Whitney collaborated on the song writing, arrangements and played guitar and piano on four tracks.”
The elder Myers brothers, both now in their 50’s, made names for themselves playing, recording and touring with Commander Cody (“Hot Rod Lincoln”) and Reno’s own MudSharks. Known for her powerful pipes, Myer made noise as a front woman with local favorites Jelly Bread. But her work with her family finds her in her element. Myer’s vocal styling inspires comparisons to Adele, but she has the wide open range and energy of a young Patti LaBelle. On stage, her gifts are on maximum display, as she gets out of body and fully into the groove. Her mellifluous falsetto has a hint of rasp and vibrato. Myer’s soul stirring arpeggios, vocal tone and control, show a confidant musical talent on the rise.
http://www.renotahoetonight.com/whitney-myer/
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Whitney Myer Band is voted Best Band, Best Album, and Whitney voted Best Musician!
[+ Show ]
Winners announced! Whitney Myer Band was voted Best Band, Best New Album and Whitney Myer was voted ...Winners announced! Whitney Myer Band was voted Best Band, Best New Album and Whitney Myer was voted Best Musician by the public in the Reno News and Review's 2010 "Best of" competition.
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Now This is My Kind of Music
[+ Show ]
Now this is my kind of music; Inspirational, powerful and soul-stirring. My only question is where h...Now this is my kind of music; Inspirational, powerful and soul-stirring. My only question is where has The Whitney Myer Band been hiding?
The Whitney Myer Band is a family made up of 4 dazzling artists; the dynamic Whitney Myer backed by father and guitarist Scott Myer, uncle and drummer Fred Myer, and friend and bassist Gia Torcaso. The two brothers started off their careers jamming with neighborhood kids in the San Francisco Bay Area back in the ‘70’s. From then on and into the ‘90’s, they were proud members of various bands including The Commander Cody Band and The Mudsharks. They also toured nationally with the eminent No Doubt and Sublime.
The multitalented leader of the group, Whitney Myer, was born into music. She began writing songs with her father at age 13 and soon after started entertaining audiences at local open mic nights. At the age of 16, she, along with the rest of the trio, had recorded their first CD, Last Days. She consistently makes magic by composing serene, creative chords on the keyboard and original guitar combinations while belting out mind-blowing vocals. Her therapeutic librettos and powerful pipes surely show she is a young musical talent on the rise. Her unique style fuses R&B, soul, and pop which has been compared to a mixture of talented artists including Adele, Amy Winehouse and even a young Patti LaBelle.
The more recently released album entitled Dream Killer is based around the idea that in life, people try to knock you down and hold you back from following your dreams. Sometimes, we can be our own worst enemies by doubting ourselves and our own special gifts. Dream Killer takes you on a soulful journey through relationships, which sometimes happen to tear us down. But Whitney’s uplifting vocals let you know that you should never give up on life and love.
The realism she exerts about relationships is completely honest. In relationships, we often put others before ourselves and forget about our own wants and needs. In “Bam,” Whitney speaks about dreams long lost; “So give me a reason to stay, because I’ve broken all of my dreams for you. I want to give you everything to make you love me. But you make it real hard.” And in “Ridiculous,” she digs deep into self-satisfaction; “You put me in my place and left me there, but I always wanted more. The situation is ridiculous, and I just want to know where this thing goes." And then there are the failed relationships, like in “Snow.” When a relationship is over, it’s over, but it’s usually very hard to let it go. “Cold snow, shouldn’t it be like summer in November. Shouldn’t there be some stars in your eyes?” Everyone in life will find love and many will lose love. I believe most people can relate to these words of wisdom.
This quartet filled with music sensations perform at somewhat smaller venues and do not seem to have a huge following, which greatly surprises me. The talent they possess is far beyond the derivative pop music that appears on radio and television. I am excited to see that they are playing at Yoshi’s Japanese Restaurant in Oakland on June 14 and I highly recommend you check it out. I let about 10 friends listen to snippets of Dream Killer and they all fell in love at first listen. The Whitney Myer Band definitely sparkles with invigorating sound, soul and style. Whether you are driving around in your car, relaxing at home or entertaining guests, this music is sure to move you.
Key Tracks- Bam, Say It, Snow
Tracy Johnson- Muzikreviews.com Contributor
March 24, 2011
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Family Affair
[+ Show ]
Family affair
The Whitney Myer Band
By Jon Fortenbury
More stories by this author...
Thi...Family affair
The Whitney Myer Band
By Jon Fortenbury
More stories by this author...
This article was published on 04.08.10.
Scott, Whitney and Fred Myer of The Whitney Myer Band. Despite appearances, they don’t play a lick of country music.
PHOTO BY BRAD BYNUM
For more information, including upcoming shows, visit www.myspace.com/thewhitneymyerband
The Whitney Myer Band might practice on a ranch, but the band members will assure you, it doesn’t affect their music.
“We still don’t like country,” says guitarist and backup vocalist Scott Myer.
“Nor do we like horses,” drummer Fred Myer adds, jokingly.
Though the band members find it easy to say what they’re not—country—they find it hard to say what they are. After spending an hour and a half at one of their band practices, I couldn’t pin it down either.
Take the song “You” for example. It’s upbeat, funky and damn, does 23-year-old vocalist Whitney Myer sing it with soul. But if you compare it to their song “Raindrop,” you’ll find yourself confused, since the song is soft, undistorted and folksy.
My question regarding their genre led the band to reflect on it more later. In doing so, they came up with “popsoulfunk.”
The band has diverse influences. They all mention James Brown. Whitney lists Amy Winehouse and Gladys Knight. She even brings up Bjork. But again, they reiterate, anything but country.
Whitney’s lyrics mostly deal with love. In the song “You,” she writes, “You don’t know me so don’t be messing with my heart and soul.” In a new song, titled “Waiting for a Savior,” she writes that she’s tired of waiting for a savior so she’s going to save herself.
During the practice I attended, I noticed a chemistry among the members of the band. Not only in their songs, which they play with energy and passion even during practice, but with the way they communicate.
“We speak our own music language,” says Whitney, who also plays guitar and keyboards. She thinks this could be explained by the fact that apart from new bassist Gia Torcaso— who joined the band in March, they’re all related. Scott is Whitney’s dad and Fred is Scott’s twin brother. Being in a band together is something they all cherish.
“It’s kept us close,” Scott says. “We have a close relationship I think lots of parents would envy.”
“Yeah, it’s true,” Whitney agrees.
Whitney grew up around music, with her dad and uncle playing in many bands, such as The Mudsharks and The Commander Cody Band, and her mom singing in church. This helped push Whitney in that same direction.
When she was 13, Whitney wrote her first song. Scott recognized the talent, and the two began playing coffee shops. Fred soon joined them.
The trio put out their first CD in 2003, titled Last Days. However, when Whitney entered college in 2005, school became the main focus. The band, for the most part, went on hiatus. Scott didn’t want her playing music full-time right out of high school. He wanted her to have that degree, at least for backup.
“[I told Whitney] if you finish school, I’ll go 100 percent with you here,” says Scott. “And that’s what we’re doing now. This is that 100 percent.”
Since Whitney graduated in May 2009, the band has been very committed, practicing two to four days a week and playing shows regularly.
In May or June, The Whitney Myer Band plans to release their second CD. They hope to begin touring in the summer or fall, while keeping Reno their home base.
“We want to take it as far as we can and be successful musicians that can make a living,” Whitney says.
“That might be pushing it,” Scott says, causing everyone to laugh.
“We have a plan of attack,” Whitney continues. “We’re very strategic.”
http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=1400691
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Homeade Music
[+ Show ]
Homemade music
An upcoming concert, titled Made in Reno, showcases a diversity of Reno talent to ra...Homemade music
An upcoming concert, titled Made in Reno, showcases a diversity of Reno talent to raise money for Washoe County School District’s music programs
By Brad Nelson
More stories by this author...
This article was published on 03.18.10.
The Whitney Myer Band is a family affair: Scott, Whitney and Frank Myer.
PHOTO BY DANA NÖLLSCH
Made in Reno is on March 26 at the Knitting Factory, 211 N. Virginia St., at 7:30 p.m. All ages. $10in advance from Beach Hut Deli, Bizarre Guitar, Discology, Java Jungle, Maytan Music Center or Recycled Records, or $13 at the door.
Related upcoming events:
Cold with Nonpoint, Day Of Fire and 16 Second Stare
M, 3/29, 8pm
$20-$45, Knitting Factory Concert House, 211 N. Virginia St. (775) 323-5648
Songwriters in the Round
Tu, 3/30, 8pm
$6, Knitting Factory Concert House, 211 N. Virginia St. (775) 323-5648
The Show: A Spoken Word & Hip Hop Showcase
W, 3/31, 7:30pm
$6, Knitting Factory Concert House, 211 N. Virginia St. (775) 323-5648
Local singer/songwriter Whitney Myer and I sit in the West Street Market and talk of Erykah Badu. Badu is one of the influences listed on Myer’s MySpace page, on which I had spent the previous hour, drawing questions from its well. The other members of the Whitney Myer Band, Scott and Fred Myer, her father and uncle, respectively, sit with us. In the early ’90s, Scott and Fred played in the Mudsharks, a local ska band that received major label attention before breaking with the tide of the ’90s ska boom.
Scott inquires of whom we speak with such excited tones, and Whitney sings the chorus of “Bag Lady.” It’s a hushed rendering, small and conscious of our public setting.
It’s also note-perfect.
The Reno music scene will display itself in varying capacities at the second annual Made in Reno, a concert featuring 20 local acts on March 26 at the Knitting Factory.
Among those showcased will be Myer and her band, as well as many others: Eric Anderson, Big Remote, Kate Cotter, Crush, Erika Davidson, Grace Gatsby, The Greg Golden Band, Hopscotch Whiskey, The Humans, Kung Fu Sophie, Lisa McCuiston and Slow Djinn Fez. Collectives and collaborations will too be on display, such as Soul-Fused Lyrics & Rhythm, featuring players from several different corners of the Reno music scene living up to the project’s name, as well as monthly open mic collective Spoken Views and improv comedy troupe The Utility Players. Meanwhile, local artist Joe Cargile will render each artist in spraypaint as the show progresses.
Pre-show performers include Jelly Bread’s Dave Berry and Mankindof, a psychedelic roots rock band that formed a mere three months ago. Mankindof features John Underwood and Zachariah Rees of The Deadly Gallows, playing drums and bass guitar respectively in this new band. There is also keyboardist Rabbit and guitarist Joe Little, who sees the show and other recent developments as signifying the music scene’s expansion.
“I think right now it’s under a lot of boom,” says Little. “We have the Knitting Factory, lots of local bands are getting booked. … It seemed like for the longest time nobody had any bands. But I think it’s on an uprising.”
http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=1388362
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Whitney Myer Band
[+ Show ]
SPARKS — Musician Whitney Myer has released a CD and performed at local venues for more than nine ye...SPARKS — Musician Whitney Myer has released a CD and performed at local venues for more than nine years — and she’s only in her early 20s.
The singer and songwriter, who will be performing at the Great Basin Brewing Co. in Sparks on Saturday, is fully dedicating herself to a career in music after graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Spanish degree.
“I’ve pretty much been in a band with my dad and uncle since I was 14,” Myer said.
Her father, Scott Myer, plays guitar and her uncle, Fred Myer, plays the drums. Myer’s uncle and father previously toured with bands No Doubt and Sublime.
Myer came from what she described as a “very musical family.” Taking after her mother, Myer also plays the keyboard and guitar. She can be the girl on a stool playing guitar and crooning solo, she can sing the blues and she also has some hip hop-style songs.
The CD Myer is working on will feature local musicians like Jay Cowell of Sol Jibe. That CD will tentatively be released in either May or June.
After several years of performing in the area, Myer has become familiar with the local music scene.
“It seems like it has a music scene in Reno and Sparks that kind of waxes and wanes,” Myer said. “There are so many talented people here, but not a huge demographic that will come out to local shows. If people hear about a famous band that’s coming on the radio, they’ll go, but aren’t as likely to go to a show with someone they don’t know performing.”
The music of the Whitney Myer Band appeals to people from different age groups, Myer said. Her most notable musical influences are James Brown and
Gladys Knight.
“I was also really influenced by both of my parents,” Myer said. “My mom is the worship leader at her church, and she taught me how to sing harmonies. I also played with my dad since I was little.”
The Whitney Myer band also will be headlining at the Made in Reno show at the Knitting Factory at 211 N. Virginia St. in Reno on March 26.
http://dailysparkstribune.com/bookmark/6560751/article-Whitney%20Myer%20Band%20to%20perform%20at%20Great%20Basin%20Brewing%20Co-
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Whitney Myer Is Thinking Big These Days
[+ Show ]
When you’re 23 and possess an impressively developed contralto (think Erykah Badu’s neo-soul, not Ka...When you’re 23 and possess an impressively developed contralto (think Erykah Badu’s neo-soul, not Katy Perry’s sassy pop), an engagingly buoyant stage presence (performing since 13) and backing musicians well-versed in rhythm and blues (her father, guitarist Scott, and uncle, drummer Fred, supported 1970s touring acts and were in The Mudsharks, Reno’s 1990s ska band that nearly scored a major-label contract), you can afford to plot a heady course.
To promote their Aug. 26 CD-release concert at the Knitting Factory, the Whitney Myer Band bought billboard space on Virginia Street — a bold act for an act carefully building a regional following, and which relied on a friendship with local musician/engineer Darius Javaher to record their album economically.
That Thursday show nearly filled the 1,260-capacity venue, thanks to heavy promoting and distributing hundreds of free tickets. Attendees were regaled by choreographed dancers and aerialists accompanying several numbers. And the electricity remained charged throughout the 90-minute set as Myer — short with an hourglass figure, round face topped by a cloud of kinky brown curls — worked the devoted crowd effortlessly with leg-pumping moves and repeated thank you’s. Behind her, funk and Latin beats pumped from her backing band (which includes bassist Gia Torcaso), supplemented by area pros on keyboards and horns, and — on the mid-tempo rocker “Rolling Stone” — rapper Chari Smith. Myer herself strapped on a keytar for two songs.
“The show really surpassed anything we could have expected,” says Myer, a 2009 University of Nevada, Reno graduate. “Not to say we didn’t work our butts off to promote the heck out it via social networking and advertising.” The band is pushing the CD toward radio play.
“I’m hoping it will enable me to play music as my primary income, which at present is waiting tables.”
“Dream Killer” (the theme is the danger of self-sabotage) may be lean on songs that instantly tilt the pop-hit meter, but is heavy on grooving beats, and showcase Myer’s star-quality vocal repertoire from throaty growls to falsetto trills.
The CD opens with the get-up-and-dance “Cupid,” with Myer’s repeated “oh-oh-oh-oh” runs punctuating a woman’s cat-and-mouse game with a lover. A badass funk groove drives the title track, with Myer shifting registers with bluesy rancor and regret.
The 10 songs vary widely in approach. The Myers arranged each and own credits to all but “This Is How We Do It” (by ’90s rapper Montell Jordan) and the poetic piano ballad “Snow,” which Whitney co-authored with Reno spoken-wordsmith Tony Walker. The tender “Snow” may be the standout track; other highlights include the slow-blues torcher “Waiting for a Savior,” and “Bam,” a mid-tempo ska-rocker with a repeated refrain of remorse (“Bam, and I’m back to my old days and my old ways”).
Reno has been good to Myer’s development. “My dad and uncle are a huge part of the music scene, going back to the early ’80s with the band Bump & Grind. I’ve been able to skip a lot of the floundering that a lot of beginning musicians do.”
Myer, who took vocal lessons from age 14 to 19, is eyeing a long career. She takes refresher lessons from Reno jazz chanteuse Cami Thompson to protect her voice.
“There’s really no top to the direction the band is going. National act, absolutely. We want to go as far as we can.”
* * *
The Whitney Myer Band plays Sept. 17 at Bar of America in Truckee, Oct. 22 at The Loft in the Siena, and Nov. 9 at Sonoma State University. To buy the CD, visit www.whitneymyerband.com.
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Woman Behind The Voice Comes Home a Star
[+ Show ]
A funny thing happened to Whitney Myer on her way to Austin, Texas. People recognized her everywhere...A funny thing happened to Whitney Myer on her way to Austin, Texas. People recognized her everywhere.
That's what two flourishing national television appearances can do for an artist. The 25-year-old lead singer for Reno's Whitney Myer Band passed the Blind Audition stage of “The Voice” before losing in the Battle Round. Now she's a celebrity.
“It makes you realize the power of TV media and what it can do overnight as far as exposure,” Myer's father, Scott, and the band's guitarist said Monday in a phone interview with Lake Tahoe Action. “Just a few minutes on a program that's watched by millions can just instantly make your face recognizable to many, many people.
“It's been kind of a mind-blower. Everywhere we went here in Austin and everywhere else along the way, it's just been building. The cashier at a little gas stop or where ever, they're all recognizing her and want to take pictures with her.”
The Whitney Myer Band last week performed five times at one of the nation's largest music events, the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival. The self-described pop, soul and funk band is comprised of twin brothers Scott and Fred Myer, bassist Gia Torcaso and the diminutive yet powerful red-headed singer, Whitney Myer.
The quartet was about to start the three- to four-day drive home Monday, when Scott Myer prepared oatmeal in the bus and Whitney Myer spoke with Lake Tahoe Action.
It was the first time the singer could discuss with this magazine the results from “The Voice,” which has been shown each week on television screens at the Great Basin Brewery in Sparks, Nev., where she worked as a waitress during her time at University of Nevada, Reno. That's where Myer, who doesn't own a television set, watched the show and kept her secret. The Blind Audition occurred in October and the Battle Round in December, three months before it finally aired last week. She signed “about a 75-page” contract promising to not publicly reveal how she did on the suspenseful competition, one of the NBC's top-rated programs.
The Whitney Myer Band will play its fifth or sixth show Sunday in the Crystal Bay Red Room as the after-party for Galactic, which will headline the larger Crown Room. Expect the Reno band to appear in the Crown Room the next time it plays in Crystal Bay.
“We had this scheduled before all of this,” Whitney Myer said. “We definitely feel we could do very well (in the Crown Room), especially considering our last show and the kinds of responses we've been getting via social media and our website and everything. The feedback from the Battle Round, I feel that ‘Reno-ans' are irate. It's like their favorite baseball team lost or something.”
Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine, one of the four judges from “The Voice,” had two members of his 12-singer team compete in the Battle Round, and he chose the Mary J. Blige song “No More Drama.” Levine selected Kim Yarbrough to advance instead of Myer. While the song selection may have tilted the odds in Yarbrough's favor, the Myers have no complaints.
“Once we get into Reno we have a lot of calls and meetings that we need to do,” Scott Myer said. “So it's opened a lot of doors. We don't know which doors we want to walk through yet. We're just trying to pick and choose the right ones. And the doors it hasn't opened, we can certainly knock on them now and people will answer them and they'll talk to us.”
Handling myriad press opportunities like a seasoned veteran, Myer appears poised to take the next step.
“ ‘The Voice' helped with interviews,” she said. “I really got a crash course learning how to handle yourself. You want to come off as who you are but you also have to be aware of what you're saying.”
A proud father, Scott Myer said his daughter's education — she has a degree in Spanish — and experience studying abroad helped prepare her for sudden stardom.
“It gives you time to see who you are so when things like this do happen you are a little
-
Woman Behind The Voice Comes Home a Star
[+ Show ]
A funny thing happened to Whitney Myer on her way to Austin, Texas. People recognized her everywhere...A funny thing happened to Whitney Myer on her way to Austin, Texas. People recognized her everywhere.
That's what two flourishing national television appearances can do for an artist. The 25-year-old lead singer for Reno's Whitney Myer Band passed the Blind Audition stage of “The Voice” before losing in the Battle Round. Now she's a celebrity.
“It makes you realize the power of TV media and what it can do overnight as far as exposure,” Myer's father, Scott, and the band's guitarist said Monday in a phone interview with Lake Tahoe Action. “Just a few minutes on a program that's watched by millions can just instantly make your face recognizable to many, many people.
“It's been kind of a mind-blower. Everywhere we went here in Austin and everywhere else along the way, it's just been building. The cashier at a little gas stop or where ever, they're all recognizing her and want to take pictures with her.”
The Whitney Myer Band last week performed five times at one of the nation's largest music events, the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival. The self-described pop, soul and funk band is comprised of twin brothers Scott and Fred Myer, bassist Gia Torcaso and the diminutive yet powerful red-headed singer, Whitney Myer.
The quartet was about to start the three- to four-day drive home Monday, when Scott Myer prepared oatmeal in the bus and Whitney Myer spoke with Lake Tahoe Action.
It was the first time the singer could discuss with this magazine the results from “The Voice,” which has been shown each week on television screens at the Great Basin Brewery in Sparks, Nev., where she worked as a waitress during her time at University of Nevada, Reno. That's where Myer, who doesn't own a television set, watched the show and kept her secret. The Blind Audition occurred in October and the Battle Round in December, three months before it finally aired last week. She signed “about a 75-page” contract promising to not publicly reveal how she did on the suspenseful competition, one of the NBC's top-rated programs.
The Whitney Myer Band will play its fifth or sixth show Sunday in the Crystal Bay Red Room as the after-party for Galactic, which will headline the larger Crown Room. Expect the Reno band to appear in the Crown Room the next time it plays in Crystal Bay.
“We had this scheduled before all of this,” Whitney Myer said. “We definitely feel we could do very well (in the Crown Room), especially considering our last show and the kinds of responses we've been getting via social media and our website and everything. The feedback from the Battle Round, I feel that ‘Reno-ans' are irate. It's like their favorite baseball team lost or something.”
Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine, one of the four judges from “The Voice,” had two members of his 12-singer team compete in the Battle Round, and he chose the Mary J. Blige song “No More Drama.” Levine selected Kim Yarbrough to advance instead of Myer. While the song selection may have tilted the odds in Yarbrough's favor, the Myers have no complaints.
“Once we get into Reno we have a lot of calls and meetings that we need to do,” Scott Myer said. “So it's opened a lot of doors. We don't know which doors we want to walk through yet. We're just trying to pick and choose the right ones. And the doors it hasn't opened, we can certainly knock on them now and people will answer them and they'll talk to us.”
Handling myriad press opportunities like a seasoned veteran, Myer appears poised to take the next step.
“ ‘The Voice' helped with interviews,” she said. “I really got a crash course learning how to handle yourself. You want to come off as who you are but you also have to be aware of what you're saying.”
A proud father, Scott Myer said his daughter's education — she has a degree in Spanish — and experience studying abroad helped prepare her for sudden stardom.
“It gives you time to see who you are so when things like this do happen you are a little
supersonic
